20.3.12

Woody Mann is an American acoustic guitarist who began studying with blues legend Reverend Gary Davis. He received formal training at the Juilliard School in New York City, and also completed a period of intense study with noted Chicago-born pianist Lennie Tristano, who introduced him to the world of jazz.

The great Woody Mann has pursued a rich and varied career. He has played with jazz great Attila Zoller, accompanied songwriter Dory Previn, collaborated with blues and folk legends including John Fahey, John Renbourn, Jo Ann Kelly, Bob Brozman, Conor Provost, Son House, Bukka White, and John Cephas and has even given guitar lessons to the legendary Paul Simon. He has performed in over fifteen countries, and recorded many albums ranging from 1997's "Stories" to 2010's "Donna Lombarda" with Duck Baker, Bob Brozman, Ed Gerhard, and Massimo Gatti. The C.F. Martin guitar company honoured Woody with the release of the "Woody Mann" signature model guitar. Buy Woody's "Been Here and Gone" album with Son House and Jo Ann Kelly, and support great acoustic folk blues music [Tracks @ 224-320 Kbps: File size = 69.9 Mb]

All songs composed by Woody Mann except "Have Mercy" based on "Death Don't Have No Mercy" by Rev Gary Davis and "The Rev's Music" based on "Let Us Get Together" and "Going To Sit Down On The Bank of The River" by Rev Gary Davis

"This is one of those names that should be uttered only in hushed tones. Not only was he taught by the peerless guitar picker the Rev Gary Davis, but Mann has played with Son House, Bukka White and John Fahey and has studied jazz under the great Lennie Tristano. In between giving lessons to Paul Simon and accompanying Dori Previn, he has also manged to cut some dazzling music, both by himself and in collaboration with performers such as Jo-Ann Kelly and bluesman John Cehpas. Don’t miss a chance to see him; you are unlikely to hear anything- or anyone – better in the fields that Mann has chosen to master.” – The London Times.

.”..Dazzling and technically flawless finger style guitar at its most listenable. Mann’s wizardry on the fret board is matched by his ability to convey deep feelings with his songs- creating moods that incite, delight, or simply soothe.” “Throughout (the recording), Mann blurs the lines between jazz, blues, classical, and world music creating his own sound in the process. Attempts to categorize his music simply misses the point. This is brilliant playing that demands to be heard.” - Sing Out Magazine

“Mann is simply Spellbinding.” - Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine

“…This excellent instrumental set from one of the most talented and eclectic finger style guitarists on the scene can be heard, more metaphorically, as a recap of his musical journey. Mann has absorbed so many guitar styles that he can change moods on a dime, weaving lyrical single string lines and chord harmonies that can take his tunes across the musical divides between genres…” Acoustic Guitar Magazine

“ Mann’s concert was a mix of brilliance and intensity- moving and inspiring. His music is a blend of so many styles, it becomes something different, something his own….Sweden National Times

“Every now and then, you hear a guitarist whose sound is completely his own and whose music flirts with several styles, never resting for very long with just one. Woody Mann is an artist who seems to have internalized many different genres and combined them in a way that is more than the sum of its parts. What is remarkable is how he can draw from several styles and techniques within a single song and have them blend without the feeling of inconsistency. Woody Mann’s performance is inspired from start to finish.”- Acoustic Musician Magazine

“You can hear classical, jazz, and blues approaches somehow converging into a single sparkling sound – a sound completely his own. Woody Takes a fresh approach to his blues re-creations and his own compositions defy category. If there was a category simply called “Great Music,” Woody’s C.D. would belong there. – John Fahey , from the liner notes to the C.D “Stories”

“…He nails very complicated stuff so cleanly that optimists will grab their guitars, thinking, “Hey, that’s humanly possible,” while pessimists will get drunk and spread dark rumors about moral turpitude. - Musician Magazine

” A brilliant convergence of guitar and song…completely original.”- Village Voice, New York

“Having studies., literally, at the feet of the Rev. Gary Davis and other blues ‘greats’, Woody has taken the traditional blues feeling and evolved it into his own highly personal, energized approach while practicing his teachers gift for telling powerful stories in the song form, as exemplified by his just issued Shanachie CD “Heading Uptown” - Boston Globe

“There are no rambling New Age guitar noodlings here: these tunes have vibrancy and life…an enormously talented and accomplished guitarist.” “Woody’s vocals are better than ever. Its always a pleasure to witness an artist who just keeps getting better. This (“Heading Uptown”CD) has to be Woody Mann’s best album yet. Positively inspiring.” - Folk Roots Magazine

“…Mann is a masterful player with a distinctly contemporary perspective in his songs.” - Acoustic Guitar Magazine

“He has certainly learned from the older players but he is giving back and pushing the boundaries even further…an exceptionally gifted musician.” - Blues and Rhythm Magazine

”In last nights concert he held a large audience spellbound for nearly two hours with a mixture of blues and jazz in addition to his original material.” – Manchester Guardian , UK

“The self effacing Woody Mann charmed his audience with a set that defies pigeon-holing even into a genre as wide as blues: his brilliant technique merges his jazz and classical ideas into something truly his own. The guitarists in the audience may have been inspired -or, more likely, made to feel like taking up another instrument altogether.” - Jersey Evening Post, UK

“Mann’s mastery of finger-style guitar is astonishing, and in person the precision of his playing is even more amazing than on his CD’s. His fingers are up and down the fingerboard, with every note of every chord loud and clear. The performance was at times introspective and at times exuberant, and the appreciative, knowledgeable audience responded loudly after each piece, leaving no doubt that Woody Mann puts on a great show.” - Concert review Blues Review Magazine